Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI442
2003-01-27 13:27:00
SECRET
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY:

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR IR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 06/05/2007 10:46:51 AM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
SECRET

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM January 27, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 442 - PRIORITY) 

TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR 

Captions: None 

Subject: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY: ABU MUSA DEAL 
 ELUDES HAMDAN 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
S E C R E T ABU DHABI 00442

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: POL 
 INFO: ECON RSO AMB DCM P/M 

DISSEMINATION: POL
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA
DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS
CLEARED: A/DCM:TEWILLIAMS

VZCZCADI228
PP RUEHC RUCNIRA RUEHDE RUEHTU RUMICEA RUEKJCS
RHEHNSC RHEFDIA RUEAIIA
DE RUEHAD #0442 0271327
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 271327Z JAN 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8100
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 2744
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0480
RUMICEA/USCINCCENT INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/DSCA-MEAN/ISA-NESA//
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000442 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA

TUNIS FOR FSI/MAYBURY

CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT

NSC FOR ABRAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/27/13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR IR TC
SUBJECT: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY:
ABU MUSA DEAL ELUDES HAMDAN

REF: A) 02 Abu Dhabi 6693 (11 December 2002)

B) 02 Abu Dhabi 2773 (02 June 2002)

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000442

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA

TUNIS FOR FSI/MAYBURY

CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT

NSC FOR ABRAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/27/13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR IR TC
SUBJECT: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY:
ABU MUSA DEAL ELUDES HAMDAN

REF: A) 02 Abu Dhabi 6693 (11 December 2002)

B) 02 Abu Dhabi 2773 (02 June 2002)


1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba,
Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).


2. (S) In the course of a 1/22 meeting with visiting
NEA A/S Burns, MFA Minstate Hamdan Bin Zayid Al-
Nahyan briefed on the difficulties he is
encountering sealing a deal with Iran on Abu Musa,
one of three Gulf islands occupied by Iran but
claimed by both the UAE and Iran. In contrast to
his earlier optimism, conveyed to the Ambassador as
recently as one month ago (ref a),Hamdan now
believes that the "difficult internal situation" in
Iran -- namely the strengthening of the hardliners
at the expense of the reformers -- has made progress
towards a deal more elusive. Hamdan explained that
the UAE had worked with Khatemi and the reformers to
move the deal along but now that the hardliners have
the upper hand, it has apparently been put on hold.
He does not expect the situation to change; in fact,
with military action looming in Iraq, it is the UAE
leadership's collective belief that the position of
the Iranian hardliners will only strengthen.


3. (S) Comment: Hamdan is clearly disappointed at
this setback, having come so close to sealing the
deal. He expended a lot of time (two trips to
Tehran and countless hours in Abu Dhabi with Iranian
envoy Muhammad Abtahi, Khatemi's chef de cabinet who
was subsequently promoted to the post of Vice
President) and prestige. We expect the Emiratis
will sit tight for now, though they clearly would
have liked to remove this irritant in their
bilateral relationship with Iran before any major
regional geostrategic upheaval. End Comment.


4. (U) A/S Burns did not clear this message.

WAHBA